First things first, a bit of business; we are still continuing, as planned, to see you in August. Contact with both government and lodging officials is being maintained and we will keep you as up-to-date as possible here.
That being said, today leaves us with only 91 days until MATG XXIV. Every year brings even more Miatas to Ground Zero than the last. Among those hundreds of cars, we all have our favorites. Be it a classic NA in immaculate condition, a wildly modified kart or monster, an all-out race car, or beater with an unusual paint job. There are always those cars we love seeing each year as they come back to Miatas at the Gap.
What are YOUR favorite Gap Miatas (Or Miata based cars)?
With only 98 days left until MATG XXIV starts we’re feeling nostalgic. We’d love to see and hear about your favorite MATG memories over the years. For some it’s friends, for others it could be rare cars, the vendors or even the drives. Share those stories and photos with all of us!!!
To quell some of the rumors floating around… MATG XXIV has not been cancelled. We are maintaining contact with Graham County and Fontana Village Resort to ensure we have the most up-to-date information. In the event plans change, we will notify everyone ASAP via social media and on GapMiatas.com
So, please share all your favorite memories of MATG while we look forward to August! Until then, we’re less than 100 days out and shivering with antici……pation.
As we all cling to what toilet paper we have been able to scrounge together, we would like to wish all of you a Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
We are also keeping in close contact with Fontana Village to stay well informed and keep a close eye on the virus situation. Fontana Village has ensured us that they are taking all possible precautions to prevent the possible spread of any and all viruses and bacteria.
At this time, MATG XXIV is still going on as planned. As we gather further information, and make decisions regarding MATG, we will pass it along as soon as possible.
Because MATG has booked the entirety of Fontana Village, we now have the ability to move the vendor’s area up to the Wildwood Grill parking lot. This will give us lots more room for vendors, and improved setup, parking, and electricity options. Stay tuned to our social media pages for more information.
It certainly sounds like they enjoyed themselves and passed the time ogling at the beautiful Miatae that turned out this year.
We would like to thank Bring a Trailer for attending and offer an open invitation to join us again on August 6-9 2020, for our 24th annual Miatas at the Gap. We hope it is even bigger and better than this year’s event!
We’ve started the countdown again, and there’s only 356 days until MATG XXIV! Don’t forget to share all your pictures into the MATG Photo Pool on Flickr. The group can be found at: flickr.com/groups/matg/pool/
Less than two weeks have elapsed since the room block at Fontana has been made available. All the cabins are already gone, and there are only 17 lodge rooms remaining. Currently, there are 10 standard lodge rooms, 4 fireplace rooms, 1 poolside cabana, and 2 sweetheart rooms available. Rates range from $113 to $156 per night. If you want to stay on site for 2020, you’d better hurry!
Don’t forget, the dates for MATG XXIV are August 6-9, 2020 and if you want to reserve a room at Fontana Village for next year, you’ll have to call them and say that you’re with “Miatas at the Gap.” The room block is not available online. The phone number is (828) 498-2211
We know discussion about driving in the area is common but… The area and groups like ours draw a lot of attention and we’d much rather it be of the positive variety. Please read our general guidelines below and remember to use common sense and courtesy out there!
-DO NOT CROSS THE DOUBLE YELLOW LINE -At all times, do not drive like an idiot. -Do not drive outside your own abilities, especially if you’re in a run and trying to keep up with the leader or the car ahead of you. -Don’t speed, these are public roads -At night and in low-visibility conditions, be very careful. Large wildlife can jump out of the woods in any curve, and people HAVE hit things like boar, bear, and deer. Hitting a 400 pound wild boar can ruin your weekend. -Slow in the Village. Fontana has a lot of families on vacation and small children running around, so be very careful and don’t drive fast in the Village -Pull Over!! If you have vehicles stacking up behind you, pull over in a safe area and let them pass. The Dragon has many paved pull-offs explicitly for this. Use them. -Beware of very large trucks. Though they’re illegal on the Dragon, they do still find their way up there from time to time, and they are still legal on all the other area roads. They take up a LOT of space, especially when trying to navigate the tight corners that the Miatas eat for lunch.
Everyone please drive safely and have a great weekend at Miatas At The Gap!
Only 3 more days remaining until MATG XXIII and one of the most common questions about the event is what to bring along for your weekend of enjoyment on the wonderful roads and at the events we have going on. While we are all a bit different (we do drive Miatas…) a pretty simple list to start with is:
Folding or Camp Chair
Sunscreen
Towel
Umbrella
Jacket (It can get chilly at night, especially if you’re on top of the mountains)
Comfy Shoes
FRS/GMRS radio (most people use Channel 5 to communicate)
Maps/GPS units (Cell phones won’t work, you’ll need a dedicated GPS if you want mapping)
Beer or Wine (for the Saturday Night Beer Swap and Wine Tasting)
Cash (Fontana Village has one ATM in the main lodge and one at the Pit Stop)
Hat
Water
Camera
GoPro or other video camera
Epi Pen, Benadryl, and other medications
Bug spray
Finally, don’t forget to stop by the registration tent. Registration is free and gets you a swag bag and annual dash plaque. You can also purchase your official event t-shirt there as well.
With only 5 days remaining until MATG 2019, we’d like to announce a couple special guests: – Greg Peters of The Car Passion Channel on YouTube will be joining the Fab9 crew during the weekend. Keep an eye out! – Tom from Tom’s Turbo Garage on YouTube will be rolling in on Saturday. Look (and listen) for his LS3 powered Mazdaspeed Miata!
Keep tabs on the Miatas at the Gap Facebook page for more updates!
